Driver in fatal crash charged with manslaughter

Updated 10:22 pm, Monday, August 19, 2013

Reader-submitted photo of a police chase that ended in a crash on White Turkey Rd.

Reader-submitted photo of a police chase that ended in a crash on White Turkey Rd.

Driver in fatal crash charged with manslaughter

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BROOKFIELD --Stopped at an Interstate 84 entrance ramp for a routine seat belt check Sunday evening, a 25-year-old driver fled, and with two State Police troopers in pursuit on I-84, he took Route 7, getting off at exit 11 and struck a Jeep, killing the driver and injuring a passenger, state police said Monday.

State Police Lt. J. Paul Vance said the victim has been tentatively identified, but official confirmation is awaiting the arrival of next of kin from out of state.

Vance said the victim was not a Brookfield youth, as had been speculated on social media Monday.

Sciaretta, who was treated at Danbury Hospital for a neck and back injuries, was charged with manslaughter, reckless driving, engaging in police pursuit, driving an unregistered motor vehicle, operating without insurance and failure to wear a seat belt. He is being held on $300,000 bond.

Sciaretta has a criminal history that includes drug and larceny convictions, but he avoided jail time on the prior charges, which included probation, according to court documents.

According to the state police report, a trooper was conducting seat belt check at 6:36 p.m. on I-84 east at the exit 5 on-ramp in Danbury when he stopped the driver of an Acura for failure to wear a seat belt.

As the trooper walked back to his cruiser, the driver fled at a high rate of speed, state police said, and began pursuit.

Police said the chase continued east on I-84 to Route 7 north. The first officer was joined by a second officer as the driver left Route 7 at exit 11.

Police said the first trooper continued down the exit ramp and discovered the fleeing driver's vehicle had struck a Jeep on White Turkey Road Extension, at the bottom of the ramp.

Police said the impact severely injured the Jeep's driver, who was taken to Danbury Hospital and pronounced dead.

A passenger in the Jeep was seriously injured.

Zach Lewis, of Danbury, told The News-Times he was on I-84 when the collision occurred.

"I got on at exit 5 and saw a vehicle pulled over on the side at a seat belt check. As I was driving on 84 and getting off at exit 7, I saw a driver speed past my car.

"He was going so fast he hit an island median on the exit ramp, then his vehicle went airborne and he hit the driver's side door of the Jeep."

Lewis also said he saw two police cruisers arrive at the crash scene.

"There was about a 20-second delay from the crash to when the troopers arrived. I saw the driver of the Acura get out of the car and walk to the back of his vehicle, sit down, and put his hands behind his back to be handcuffed."

The case is under investigation and witnesses are asked to contact Troop A in Southbury at 203-267-2200.